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Tesla to install canopies for a 'solar test house' at its Fremont factory

Tesla Solar Roof (Source: Tesla)

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Tesla has plans for the installation of new tent-like canopies for a “solar test house” at its factory, according to a new building permit issued by the City of Fremont.

Per the description noted in the initial filing, Tesla is seeking “two canopy covers over solar test house” that measure approximately 60′ x 80′ & 60′ x 70′. The structures will be temporary and removed after two months.

While there’s no indication on the purpose for the canopies, CNBC indicates that the canopies are meant to conceal research and development on its solar test house from prying eyes, and protect the project from potential delays due to rains.

Seeing progress in the efforts of Tesla to install more Solarglass rooftops brings it another step closer to mass producing the third version of the solar roof tiles. Likewise, such developments can help Tesla capitalize on California’s new building requirements that require newly-built homes to have solar systems starting next year. The state is the first in the country to require solar panel installations on single-family homes and multi-family structures.

Tesla building permit for a solar test house canopy (Source: Fremont Development Service Center)

Based on the 2019 Building Energy Standards in California, the solar requirement increases the cost of building a new home by roughly $9,500 but has the potential to save homeowners about $19,000 in energy bills and maintenance costs over 30 years. The Energy Commission estimates that an average home will save around $80 on cooling, heating, and lighting bills.  Customers such as Amanda Tobler from the Bay Area echo the possibility that these numbers can be achieved. The Toblers had their Solar Roof tiles installed in March 2018 and enjoys more than enough power for their house and two plug-in vehicles as a result.

Tesla also recently posted job openings that aim to beef up its installation teams in California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas. The company looks to hire licensed electricians, Solarglass roofers, installers to join its operations who will most likely not install just its solar tiles but also help to put up Powerwalls and regular solar panels.

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As the energy company installs more Solarglass rooftops, it will also create more jobs to fill the needs of its facility in Buffalo, New York and possibly save the company $41.2 million in penalties. Tesla promised to produce its solar panels in the said facility, which used $750 million in taxpayers’ money and the deal requires it to generate around 1,500 jobs by April next year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he sees the company’s energy business to grow as big as its electric vehicle business. In Q3, Tesla deployed 43MW of solar or 48 percent more compared to the previous quarter.

“…the really crazy growth for as far into the future as I can imagine. … It would be difficult to overstate the degree to which Tesla Energy is going to be a major part of Tesla’s activity in the future,” he said during with Wall Street analysts.

Tesla started accepting orders for its V3 Solar Roof in October and Musk revealed that it plans to eventually install 1,000 solar roofs a week.  Interested homeowners who want a Solarglass rooftop can use the company’s online configurator to estimate the costs. The estimated pricing for a 2,000 sq. ft. roof with 10kW solar is $33,950 after a federal tax credit of $8,550.

As of 2018, there are only 15 to 20 percent of California single-family houses with solar panels installed according to the estimates of the California Building Industry Association.

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A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.

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xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

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(Credit: xAI)

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area. 

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs

Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.

In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.

“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.

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Musk Foundation donation

Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students. 

The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”

“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.

The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”

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What to expect from Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s new Master Plan

While Musk only shared a few tidbits about his next plan, he did hint at its theme.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is working on another Master Plan. The executive mentioned this during the company’s second quarter earnings call earlier this week. While Musk only shared a few tidbits about his next plan, he did hint at its theme.

Master Plan Part Four

Elon Musk’s Master Plans have been a huge guiding hand for Tesla over the past couple of decades. His first Master Plan, which was published in 2006, featured a pathway towards the production of the Model 3 and energy storage systems. Master Plan, Part Deux, which was published ten years later in 2016, featured a pathway towards a Robotaxi network. 

Master Plan Part 3 was more ambitious, as it presented a case towards a world where there is sustainable energy for the entire planet. Considering the scale and ambitious nature of Master Plan Part 3, it was widely speculated that Elon Musk’s next Master Plan would not be around for some time. During the second quarter earnings call, however, Musk confirmed that he is indeed creating his next big plan.

Master Plan Part 4

Elon Musk mentioned his next Master Plan when a question was asked about the work that goes on inside the Tesla Design Studio during the Q2 2025 earnings call. In response to the inquiry, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen emphasized that while earnings calls are not the venue for disclosing new product-related information, Tesla is working to ensure that the future remains exciting. Musk agreed, stating that there are lots of exciting things happening in the Tesla Design Studio.

“What’s going to happen over the next several years is a fundamental transformation of the company from a pre-autonomy world to a post-autonomy. And I’m working on a new Master Plan to articulate that to the Tesla team. And there will be some teething pains as you transition from a pre- autonomy to post-autonomy world, but I think the future vision for Tesla is incredibly exciting and will profoundly change the world in a good way,” Musk said.

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A Post-Autonomy World

Considering Musk’s comments, it would appear that Master Plan Part 4 will be focused on a path towards what the CEO has been describing as “sustainable abundance.” If Master Plan Part 3 was focused on fostering sustainable energy for the entire planet, Master Plan Part 4 will likely present a path towards abundance in a world populated by self-driving vehicles like the Cybercab and humanoid robots like Optimus.

Master Plan Part 4 will likely have been farfetched just a couple years ago. Yet with Tesla now operating its Robotaxi service in Austin and Optimus V3 expected to enter production next year, the idea of a world filled with “sustainable abundance” does seem quite feasible. It will be ambitious like Elon Musk’s other Master Plans, of course, but it will be attainable. 

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Tesla Optimus robots will ship with a design no consumer has seen yet

Elon Musk described Optimus V3’s design as “exquisite.”

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Credit: @heydave7/X

Tesla is already producing its Optimus units for its own use, but when the humanoid robot actually starts shipping to consumers, it will likely look like a completely different product. This was, at least, hinted at by Elon Musk during the second quarter earnings call.

Optimus design iterations

When Optimus was initially announced during Tesla’s first AI Day event in 2021, the company only had a static model of the humanoid robot and a literal person in a robot suit dancing on the stage. Over the years, Tesla has showcased increasingly refined versions of its Optimus robot, culminating in V2, which is currently being produced today. 

During the Q1 2025 All-Hands Meeting, CEO Elon Musk told Tesla employees that the company will try to produce its first “legion” of Optimus robots this year. 

At the time, expectations seemed to suggest that Tesla would go ahead and mass-produce Optimus V2 with some refinements, such as hands that have 22 degrees of freedom. Such speculations seemed reasonable since Optimus V2 already moves very well, and its design already looked refined compared to humanoid robots made by other companies. 

Optimus V3 design

During the second quarter 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk clarified that when Optimus enters mass production, the humanoid robot will feature its Version 3 design. This means that the Optimus robots that will be delivered to Tesla’s first consumers will feature a different design compared to the Optimus V2 robots that have been in use by the company since 2023.

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Elon Musk seems quite optimistic about Optimus V3’s potential, stating that the design of the humanoid robot would be quite exquisite. He also echoed his previous sentiments about Optimus likely becoming Tesla’s biggest product in the long run.

“The Optimus 3 design, as I mentioned earlier, is, I think, finding the right design. There will be further optimizations, but there are, I think, no fundamental changes that are needed for the Optimus 3 design. It has all the degrees of freedom that you really want or need,” Musk said, later noting that Optimus 3’s design is “exquisite.”

Tesla is yet to tease the design or overall look of Optimus V3, though one could assume that the robot will likely resemble the sleek, humanlike concept that the company showcased in 2021. If Optimus V3 does feature such a look, it would undoubtedly become one of the most futuristic products in the market, even in the coming years.

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